Antonio Ferro was an Italian aristocrat who fell for Lamu, and in 2001 he built The Fort as a private retreat for family and friends, set on the sand dunes at the edge of Shela Beach. His daughter, Gabriella, runs it now as her own home, welcoming guests into a coral-stone house enclosed by a fifty-foot sandstone wall, facing the Indian Ocean on Lamu Island in Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago.
Antonio Ferro was an Italian aristocrat who fell for Lamu
The house sits directly on the sand dunes of Shela Beach, cocooned among casuarina trees with the Indian Ocean a few steps from the door. Shela Village lies a ten-minute walk along the sand, its boutiques and the Peponi Hotel close enough to reach for lunch, yet far enough that the rooms hear only the ocean. The setting is the draw, and it asks little of you beyond the beach itself.
A heavy studded wooden door opens onto a courtyard ringed by arches, and the main floor is built around it, looking out to the pool and gardens beyond. The interiors are spare and cool, all polished screeded floors and brass faucets, hung and furnished with art gathered from around the world. The style is Omani throughout, worked in local coral stone, everything held under the constant sound of the sea.
A heavy studded wooden door opens onto a courtyard ringed by arches.
Upstairs, the fort character comes through most clearly. In place of glass, the upper suites are dressed with high canvas draperies and open onto private balconies, so the ocean breeze moves through the rooms day and night, while the rooftop is laid out for lounging, its views sweeping across the sea and the dunes below. It is the sort of place where a whole day can slip away unnoticed.
Gabriella’s involvement runs well beyond hosting. A dedicated cook, she oversees the menus herself and trained the chef, and the kitchen leans on fresh local produce and the day’s seafood, moving between Mediterranean, coastal Swahili and Asian influences. Meals shift with the mood: dinner might be served in the formal upstairs room with its ocean views, or at a table set out on the sand, or by candlelight under the stars on the roof. Dining on the beach, in heavy wooden chairs with the tide a few metres away, is one of the house’s quiet pleasures.
Activities are arranged rather than scheduled, in the way of a private house. A traditional dhow can be hired for a sunset cruise or a day of snorkelling with lunch aboard, and the waters off Lamu reward the effort, for dolphins move through the channel, sea turtles nest along the beaches, and the archipelago sees the occasional whale shark. For the more restless there is fishing, kite surfing, water skiing and wakeboarding to be taken up with local instructors, while yoga and massage come quietly to the house itself.
On Manda Island, the Takwa Ruins mark a fifteenth-century Swahili settlement worth an afternoon
Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a short boat ride away, its Swahili stone architecture and narrow lanes best explored on foot. On Manda Island, the Takwa Ruins mark a fifteenth-century Swahili settlement worth an afternoon. These excursions are simple to arrange, though the pull of the house tends to keep guests close to the beach, the pool and the roof, and for those drawn to the marine life on the doorstep, there is the chance to adopt a turtle through the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust.
The Trust patrols nesting beaches across the archipelago and works with local fishermen to release turtles caught by accident. With nine en-suite double bedrooms, The Fort suits a family or a group taking the house together, up to eighteen guests, with a full staff to see to them. Gabriella still runs it as her own home, and it shows in every detail. This is a house lent out to guests rather than one run as a hotel, and the difference is felt from the moment the studded door swings open.
accommodation
Nine en-suite double bedrooms accommodate up to eighteen guests, seven of them overlooking the central courtyard while the rest face the Indian Ocean and the surrounding dunes. The rooms are spare and minimalist, laid over polished screeded floors and dressed with collected furniture, and the upper suites trade glass for high canvas draperies and private balconies that keep the sea breeze moving.
activities
The house arranges dhow sailing, sunset cruises and snorkelling excursions, along with fishing, kite surfing, water skiing and wakeboarding through local instructors. Boat trips reach Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Takwa Ruins on Manda Island, while yoga and massage can be booked at the house or nearby.
conservation
Guests can adopt a turtle through the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust, which protects nesting beaches across the archipelago, runs education programmes in local schools, and encourages fishermen to release turtles caught as bycatch. The Trust also works with the Shela Environmental Residents Group on waste collection in Shela Village.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to Lamu's airport on Manda Island, about one hour and three-quarters by light aircraft, then cross by boat to Lamu Island and reach the house on Shela Beach, a short walk or transfer along the sand.
We arrange the flights and the boat together. We can also arrange the Lamu leg as a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, timed to your international arrival.
Coastal flights usually allow a slightly more generous soft-bag limit than the bush routes, though a duffel still travels best. Shela village and the Peponi Hotel are a ten-minute walk along the beach once you arrive.
Yes. Lamu and the wider Kenyan coast are among the higher-risk malaria areas in the country, the low, humid climate suiting mosquitoes, so the CDC and TravelHealthPro both regard the coast as a year-round malaria zone and antimalarial tablets are strongly advised.
We do not give medical advice. We are travel planners rather than doctors, so the choice of tablets, and whether they suit everyone in the party, belongs in a conversation between you and your own doctor or a travel clinic. What we can be useful on is the non-medical part: cover up once the light goes, and carry repellent.
Hot and humid all year, cooled by the ocean breeze that moves through the open house, with the heaviest rain in April and May. The upper suites trade glass for canvas draperies, so you feel the sea air directly.
Pack light, breathable clothes, swimwear, sun protection and a hat, plus something to cover shoulders and knees for Shela village and Lamu town, which are conservative Muslim communities. The setting asks little of you beyond the beach itself.
For calm, clear seas, come from December to February, with October another quiet, clear spell. The June to September months are breezier, better suited to sailing, while April and May bring the heaviest rain and roughest water and are best avoided.
The house is really about the beach and the quiet, so the drier, calmer months make the most of both.
Yes. The Fort is a privately owned villa, run by the owner's daughter as her home, and it takes up to eighteen guests across nine bedrooms on an exclusive-use basis, so the courtyard, pool, gardens and roof are yours alone. Dhow sailing, snorkelling, fishing and watersports are arranged through local instructors, along with yoga and massage at the house.
That privacy, a coral-stone house behind a high wall on the dunes with the ocean at the door, is the point of staying here. It suits a family or a group of friends who want the run of a beautiful house on Shela Beach.
It works well for families and groups taking the whole house, with nine bedrooms sleeping up to eighteen and the beach a few steps away. Having the place to yourselves means children can relax without other guests nearby, and the pool and gardens give them room to roam.
The upper suites are open to the air and the house sits right on the dunes, so tell us your children's ages and we will advise on the best room layout and keep an eye to the practicalities of small children by the sea.
rated five stars by our clients
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
